I live in an active subdivision full of pedestrians. A regular stream of runners, walkers, neighborhood kids and couples pass by our house at various times of the day. The foot traffic has grown tremendously in the 20 years I’ve been there as more houses are built and more folks move in.

But the new age of multitasking parents among this group have me concerned. They like to incorporate exercise with other activities like pushing their child in a stroller while jogging or checking their heart rate or texting or walking the family pet, or listening to some electronic gadget the buds of which are lodged in their ears.

Or all of the above all at once.

I recently witnessed a young woman traveling in front of my home with a child in a stroller which was designed to shield the child from behind, meaning she would have had to walk to the front of the stroller to check on the baby. The woman’s ears were plugged with ear buds leading to an electronic apparatus attached to a band on her arm. She was steering the stroller with one hand in which she was also holding three leashes attached to three dogs of various sizes. With the other hand, she was holding a cell phone she was staring at intently as she busily moved her thumb across it. All of this while jogging along the busiest street in our subdivision paying no attention to where she was going, or the child or the animals.

If there was something wrong with the baby — if it was crying or slipping out of the seating or anything — she would not have even heard or noticed. If something spooked the dogs or lead them to chase, her choice was to either help the dogs or stay with the child as there was no way to do both. There did not seem to be any wisdom used in the orchestration of the whole activity.

Unfortunately, these massive multitaskers are becoming all too common and they are creating consequences for others.

The Wall Street Journal said there is a growing concern among doctors who are seeing an uptick in visits from injured young children. They believe parents, who have become distracted by hand-held electronic devices, aren’t keeping as close an eye on their children and the results are harmful.

After nearly a decade of decline, “nonfatal injuries to children under age five rose 12 percent between 2007 and 2010,” according to the WSJ. The number coincides with the growth of those who own smartphones and other electronic devices.

No studies have been done to link the two, the article states, but the association is close enough that doctors say it’s “a question that begs to be asked.”

At playgrounds, swimming pools, athletic events, indoor gymnasiums and other facilities where hands on guidance is needed, the article notes that parents are turning to their phones and tuning out their kids.

Sociologists say that mobile technology removes people from the current situation while also reducing the ability to anticipate a problem. Staring at a child and then a device means a constant refocus of attention, which takes time, each time. An oncoming mishap would not necessarily click in the mind of a parent distracted by technology as it would if they were wholly focused on the moment.

And missing those moments may be the biggest concern of all.

Kids (and pets) are already competing with jobs, household tasks and other grown up responsibilities involving the adults in their lives, they shouldn’t have to compete with technology as well.

Enjoy the walk. Enjoy the playground and the time with your kids and family in general. As a practicing empty nester, I can testify that those moments are fleeting. They’re gone before you know it and need to be savored.

Push the baby in the stroller or walk the dog. Enjoy them both.

But leave the stupid phone in the car.

Timmi Toler is city editor of The Daily News. Contact her at 910-219-8458 or timmi.toler@jdnews.com, or join the conversation at facebook.com/JacksonvilleDailyNews or twitter.com/JDNews.